In: Psychology
•What are the current research findings about sexual and gender
identity
• Identify the psychological theories about this topic
• Explain how this topic relates to everyday life
• An analysis of how diversity, beliefs, social and cultural issues
influence perception about this topic
Sexual identity is very different to gender identity. Gender identity refers to identifying onself as a man or a woman based on the genitals that they are born with. However, sexual identity refers to how one identifies themselves sexually. Conflict in gender and sexual identity results in gender identity disorder. Gender identity disorder is characterized by a person feeling different to the sex they are born in. For instance, a boy who is born with male genitals, feels and expresses himself as a girl. From within he identifies himself as a girl. He takes up feminine roles, likes playing with Barbie dolls, kitchen set. Growing up he dresses up like a woman, finds it extremely uncomfortable to wear clothes that are pertinent to a boy. He is attracted to men and not women. This defines his sexual identity. Conflict in sexual identity causes distress in a regular routine life as a result of incongruence in one's gender identity.